APPENDIX 2: A Guide to Picture and Symbol Sets for Communication
Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing
Pics/Symbols Features
Colour Any – Colour, fully pictorial, can be 100%
Photographs digital or specific and fully personalized so
‘ordinary’ meaningful to user
Can often be too ‘busy’, poorly
composed and poorly lit, so may be
visually difficult to process, for
some users
Coloured Eg. cut from magazines, Often better quality and clearer than
pictures mail-order catalogues etc. self-taken photos (but not
Use postcards, cuttings personalized)
from tourist leaflets etc.
for outings and trips
Images from Like photos in general, can be more
the internet specific than symbols Photos not
always good quality
Clip Art Eg. Like any photos (see above) will be
Flash! Pro 2 (photos) highly specific (although unlike
Picture This...Pro your own photos, NOT
(photos) personalized). Otherwise, can tend
Let’s Sign and Write to be a bit ‘cartoony’ so not always
(graphics for signing) appropriate or meaningful (see
below)
Cartoons May be considered less ‘childish’
than some other graphics, so may
seem appealing to staff, but very
often difficult to process, not
meaningful to service-user or
appropriate to situation.
Hand-drawn Black and white line Easy, quick and always available!
pictures drawings, usually. Not always good quality but should
be recognizable and ‘do the job’
temporarily at least, if closely
linked to context and done in front
of service-user in ‘real time’.
 CALL Centre, 2005
Use & comments
Pictures
Very widely used, especially as
digital cameras become more
widely available. Need to
remember to take single item
against contrasting background to
Nice way to involve the service-
user in choosing their own
pictures, can be cut out, stuck into
diaries, albums, Talking Photo
Albums etc.
Useful for being very specific,
using images from TV, cinema
etc. Watch out for copyright
issues – do not reproduce or sell,
though may be OK to use with
individual service-users
Handy to have a collection
available, but not standardised, so
cannot transfer from / to different
situations. Exception is ORT,
Wellington Square (graphics to
go with reading schemes widely
used in schools))
As above, not widely used, not
standardised, so cannot transfer
from / to different situations
Probably not as widely used as
they should be – can be highly
specific to situation and powerful
tool. However, not standardized,
not easily replicable
1 Pictures and Symbols for Communication
by Sally Millar, CALL Centre 2005
Associated Software Contact
Info
Ordinary photos need to be scanned in. www.irfanview.co
Can be imported into any software that m
handles graphics, usually in .jpg format.
Might want to crop / edit etc. using a
graphics viewer / editing software eg.
IrfanView (free from internet) or Paint
(free with Windows)
Not useful digitally – would need to be
‘scanned in’ then treated as any graphics
file (see above)
Import into any software that handles www.images.googl
graphics, e.com
or see CALL
handout ‘Pictures
and Clip Art…” for
other web sites
Clip Art is widely available free on the Search in Google
Internet and commercially (and in for ‘free clip art’.
Microsoft Word, if installed) Commercial www.inclusive.co.u
sets generally not useful unless they have a k
searchable index and visual preview http://office.micros
facility. Specialised for use with Special oft.com/clipart/
Needs recommended, (cf ‘Examples’ box, For ORT -
left) www.cricksoft.com
/uk/products/graphi
cs&symbols/
From Clip art. Internet image search etc.
If you wanted to make life really
complicated, could be scanned in and
saved / imported as graphics, drawn on
tablet computer screen and saved
etc…..nah….!
 Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing
Pics/Symbols Features
Picture / Symbol Sets
(limited or specialised vocabulary)
Ispeek Visual 1,000 coloured images, 1,000 more
Communication promised for September 2005,
organized into categories.
Categories and images geared
primarily to ASD children, eg.
facial expressions / emotions,
sounds that cause sensitivity /
distress. Images made up into
Schedules also available, eg.
Making Snacks and Drinks,
Personal Care.
Pics for PECS 1,200 brightly coloured images in
.jpg format
Designed mainly for children /
ASD
CHANGE 500 images on each CD, all black
Picture Bank and white line drawing style. Some
may be hard to process (see ‘video
CHANGE camera’, left)
Health Picture Picture sets are designed by group
Bank working with adults with complex
disabilities especially deaf and
blind with learning difficulties.
Bonnington Approximately 600 Black and
Symbol System White symbols (with some red eg.
for medical cross, and crossing out
eg. No smoking). Style of symbols
is similar in some cases to PCS,
Makaton, Rebus, (see below), and
in other cases to ‘international
airport signs’ style in line with
British Standard Symbols (cf Sign
Design guide, JMU Access
Partnership, RNIB)
 CALL Centre, 2005
Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info
Designed by a parent / educator Image set comes on a CD £25 each (CD 2 www.ispeek.co.uk/
and designed for use by children not out yet) images (metafiles or .jpgs) can
with autistic spectrum disorder. be imported like any clip art or other
Don’t know anyone using it – yet graphics into whatever software you want
– looks promising. Company also to use.
sells low-tech communication
materials eg. charts, schedule
strips, and keyring
communicators etc.
Some people think if you are Pics for PECS 2005 Image set comes on a www.pecs.org.uk/
doing PECS you have to use these CD £30, again can be imported and used in
images – not true – you can use any software.
any images or symbols. Pyramid
also sells range of other materials,
low tech picture sets, help cards,
visual schedules etc.
Don’t know anyone using it – yet. CD £120 (different prices for different www.changepeople
Images are not childish; all people purchasers - more for big organizations, .co.uk/
shown are adult, some elderly. less for families)
Possible lack of consistency of
style across the set, some are
‘cartoony’, some ‘drawing-y’,
some simpler / more detailed than
others.
Widely used in Edinburgh and Sold on CD in .wmf format £40 but www.modemopera
Lothians (?) but not much charges may be waived or negotiable for ndi.co.uk/symbols/
elsewhere? Symbols are not Edinburgh Social Work or associated local
childish. Developed particularly services.
for use by adults with learning
difficulties, initially for use in an
adult resource centre setting, now
more and more for signage and
‘inclusive communication’ in the
community. Vocabulary
particularly geared to just
‘labelling’
2 Pictures and Symbols for Communication
 Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing Use & comments Associated Software Contact Info
Pics/Symbols Features
Minspeak Coloured multi-meaning icons, only Used by Minspeak device users ONLY available in conjunction with www.pri.co.uk
Symbols used in combination with specific only dedicated Minspeak VOCAS, eg.
(or technology, no low tech version SpringBoard, Vanguard, Vantage,
Minsymbols) Pathfinder
DynaSyms Coloured multi-meaning icons, only Used by some DynaVox (DV4, Users can choose to have DynaSyms or www.dynavox.co.u
used in combination with specific MT4, Mighty Mo, MiniMo) users PCS pre-loaded in DynaVox VOCA k
technology, (low tech version (but not all – users have the products.
(PicSyms) used to exist but not option of PCS symbols instead).
used in UK)
Product These are not ‘transparent’ or Some of these are very familiar to Materials from the
Logos ‘guessable’ symbols – you either everybody; others may have shops themselves,
know what they represent or you particular significance for a should usually be
McDonalds, don’t specific individual. If used, must able to take from
Marks and Spencer, be tailored to individual’s Internet
Coca Cola etc. experience and interests – these
are not
Symbol Systems / Symbol Languages
Bigger, wider vocabularies, some grammatical elements, wider range of applications
Designed to be combined together into symbol phrases and sentences, not just used as ‘prompts’ or ‘labels’
Picture Symbols are basically quite Widely used across Scotland in BoardMaker  www.mayerjohns
Communic- pictorial. Basic Vocabulary of schools – the most commonly BoardMaker Plus, on.com
ation Symbols 3000+ and now several used symbols in education and as Schedule It! Sequence It  in UK, available
(PCS) ‘Addendum’ packs with about 2000 general ‘visual environment’. For making materials (special bitmap www.donjohnston.c
more symbols bring vocab up to Advantage of this is that staff tend format) o.uk
(often
5,000+ (also specialized to be familiar and supported with Plus lots of ‘sets’ of ready-made symbol and others (not all
referred to as vocabularies, eg. Animations and this system. Note that if children topic boards & games etc. eg. Print products) eg.
‘BoardMaker Communicating about Sexuality) leave school and move on to adult N’Play, Print N’Eat (Menus), Print www.inclusive.co.u
Symbols’) Available in both colour and black placements, they need to have N’Learn units k
and white, and ‘transparent’ so can continuity of their PCS symbol Speaking Dynamically Pro www.cricksoft.co.u
go in outline on a colour-coded system – NOT to be taken off and Alternatively/also can get CD of symbols k
background. stuck on to a new / different only (£80), import into software of your  & other
Originally American which system choice (necessary for Clicker, as companies
sometimes shows and may annoy BoardMaker symbols will not insert into Also resources
occasionally. Clicker 4) downloadable from
Clicker and Speaking Dynamically Pro www.callcentrescot
are switch accessible so can be used land.org.uk
directly by service users.

 CALL Centre, 2005 3 Pictures and Symbols for Communication

 Name of Examples Type / Distinguishing
Pics/Symbols Features
Widgit Rebus The whole Widgit Rebus symbol
symbols system has been revised recently to
ensure consistency and add new
Colour vocabulary and some basic
grammar markers. Now around
Widgit
7,000+ symbols available Symbols
Symbols always used to be black and white
only, but now available in colour, in
conjunction with new software
Communicate in Print (even to the
extent of 5 different skin choice
colours, for people symbols!).
Symbols for Symbols designed to accompany
Makaton the Makaton manual signing
programme. Thick black & white
line drawings, originally based on
Rebus, now with many adaptations
and additions, to match vocabulary
requirements of National
Curriculum etc.
Bliss Symbols Huge vocabulary, (c4000) including
quite sophisticated and abstract
meanings, plus potential to use
strategies and ‘combine’ symbols to
book make new meanings. Black and
white only (may use colour-coded
background). Many symbols are not
transparent or guessable though
library there are simple rules that help you
decode symbol shapes
Can be easily hand-drawn, which is
convenient
 CALL Centre, 2005
Use & comments
Widely used across England and
Wales, becoming more common
in Scotland. Designed primarily to
help develop literacy and
‘writing’ (rather than as a
communication aid) and to make
information accessible. Used by
all ages but perhaps more by
slightly older students and adults.
A new ‘Adult Dynamic
Vocabulary’ (ADV) in Widgit
Rebus now available for use in
The Grid software
Just because you use Makaton
signing it does not mean you must
use Makaton symbols – you can
combine Makaton signing with
other symbol systems. Makaton
symbols tend to have been
overtaken by Widgit Rebus and
PCS these days?
Used by some adults but not
many children these days. Pity, as
it’s a powerful system that can
give excellent communication to
more cognitively able users Felt
to be a bit too abstract for some
users, and might be harder for
staff especially in mainstream
schools and community settings,
who might need special training.
Hopefully will come back into
fashion one day soon, perhaps
when software situation improves.
4 Pictures and Symbols for Communication
Associated Software Contact Info
Writing with Symbols 2000 www.widgit.co.uk
Communicate in Print
Communicate Webwide www.symbolworld.
Communicate by Choice co.uk
PC only
Writing with Symbols 2000 (WWS) comes
with all Widgit Rebus symbols and all
PCS symbols already installed. Exciting
new software development opens up
opportunities for symbol communication
over email and internet. Widgit Rebus
symbols in .emf format have not in the
past been easy to import into other
software (though this may be changing www.sensorysoftw
(new Clicker 5 may deal with them) are.com/resources/g
WWS and The Grid are switch-accessible ridsets/adv.html
so can be used directly by service users.
Database of Signs and Symbols www.makaton.org/
Various CDs: Core Vocabulary, National
Curriculum 1, Animals, Transport & www.widgit.co.uk
Vehicles £65 each. Can be used with your
software of choice and / or installed as a
‘symbol library’ in Widgit’s Writing with
Symbols 2000 and/ or Clicker 4
Mind Express www.techcess.co.u
k/techcess.html
Symbols for Windows (SfW) suite www.possum.co.uk
SfW Communicator & Paper Chart /symbol_for_windo
Maker ws
Both come with Bliss pre-loaded but are
designed primarily as communication aids
not just for making materials.
Can cut and paste from BlissWord www.blisswords.co
Dictionary. .uk/
Bliss libraries hopefully soon to be
available for both BoardMaker and www.blissymbolics
Writing with Symbols 2000 – this will .org/
revolutionize the situation and make Bliss
more usable